The present invention relates to a shield, seal and lubricating mechanism for a member which moves relative to a housing. More specifically, the present invention relates to a rack and pinion steering gear assembly for use in turning a steerable vehicle wheel.
Known rack and pinion steering gear assemblies which are manually actuated are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,693,999 and 3,820,415. Known rack and pinion steering gear assemblies which are power assisted are disclosed in U.S. Pat, Nos. 3,709,099; 4,415 054 and 4,819,499. Many known rack and pinion steering gear assemblies have been provided with a bellows or boot seal between an end portion of the rack and a housing in the manner similar to the disclosures in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,762,740 and 3,927,576.
If the bellows which seals a rack and pinion steering gear is damaged during operation of the vehicle, water and other contaminants may leak into the bellows. If this occurs, the water may cause the rack to rust. Also, the bellows helps to keep dirt and other contaminants off a portion of the rack bar that passes through a bearing or hydraulic seal and hence aids in protecting the rack, bearing and seal from damage.